Virginia Department of Education
Grade 8 Writing Prompts
Imagine four pages of writing prompts. Although designed specifically for eighth graders, the topics could be used for upper-elementary and high school writers as well.
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Communities
Students are introduced to the concept of communities. Using a map, they locate and describe different communities of all sizes. They watch a video and answer questions on a worksheet to complete the lesson.
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A Village of Painters: Narrative Scrolls from West Bengal
Examine the process of making Indian patua-style narrative scrolls. Look closely at the images in the scrolls and have your young artists create an original patua painting. Using ink and watercolors, the class can illustrate their...
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Grandparents’ Day Interview
In this interviewing skills worksheet, students read tips for conducting interviews as part of the research process and then use the tips to interview their grandparents about their life experiences related to economics. Students write...
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Science NetLinks: Burrowing Owls
Students investigate the example of the burrowing owl to illustrate how human activities can control the fate of species. The research is focused on the ecosystem and examining the different species within it.
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Get to Know Your City
Third graders research the history of their home city and how it's development was influenced by different groups of people. They present their research information to the class.
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Modeling the Process of Mining Silicon Through a Single Displacement/Redox Reaction
High schoolers study silicon and where it comes from. In this solar mining lesson students complete an Internet search of mining and a lab activity.
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Using Political Cartoons and Propaganda in Teaching the Holocaust
Students gain an understanding of the Holocaust through analysis of political cartoons. In this Holocaust lesson, students examine propaganda in political cartoons that were used in Nazi Germany.
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Classrooms: Then and Now
Students look at schoolhouses from the past. In this comparative analysis lesson plan, students visit a one room school house and look at the tools used for learning. Students then compare the schoolhouse of the past to the schoolhouse...
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A Similar Look at Another Text
Second graders read stories about relationships and record their thoughts using a "Before" and "After" organizer.
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SUSTAINABLE AGRISCIENCE
High schoolers, after defining sustainable agriscience, distinguishing between renewable and nonrenewable resources and identify the basic components of a sustainable agriscience system, develop a sustainable agriscience system. They...
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Town Directories: Life in Griswold during the 1870's
Eighth graders explore what the city of Griswold, Connecticut, was like in the 1870's. In this American history lesson, 8th graders research what the city of Griswold was like in the past and compare it to the present, then share...
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These Lakes are Great
Students examine the Great Lakes Basin and water conservation. In this Great Lakes and water lesson, students study the location of the lakes before reading the book, The River Ran Wild. They discuss the associated vocabulary and in...
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Difficult Decisions: The Sakinaw Sockeye Case Study
Eighth graders examine Sakinaw Sockeye as species at risk, participate in role playing exercise to consider different perspectives of various interest groups, and try to come to consensus on how to deal with dwindling Sakinaw sockeye...
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George Washington Carver
Second graders participate in an investigation of George Washington Carver and his life. They conduct research using the provided text. Specifically, 2nd graders use the large print and pictures to strengthen reading comprehension. They...
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Japanese Internment Camps in the US During World War II
Eighth graders analyze the impact of the Japanese/American conflict during World War II on the Japanese American population and evaluate the consequences of government action regarding international conflict. Students demonstrate their...
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What About Us? Women in the Civil War
Students research the role of women in the Civil War. In this Civil War unit, students research the role women played during the war. This unit includes eight different activities including vocabulary, writing prompts and a literature...
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Imag(in)ing History Across Generations
Students find an image depicting events of September 11 or after and write a letter to their future grandchldren explaining the image and why those chose to preserve it for them.
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True Admissions
Students examine affirmative action and study the diversity of their own classrooms and communities, then of a particular college or university. They write essays examining how colleges should increase the diversity of their student bodies.
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Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Natural Dyes
Second graders explore the work of Americans when it came to coloring materials. In this interdisciplinary lesson, 2nd graders follow the provided steps to make natural goldenrod dye from scratch.
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Architecture: Homes All Around
Young scholars listen to a book, "This is My House" and sing a song to the tune of Home on the Range. They use the internet to view examples of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture. Students take pictures of architectural details of their...
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Immigration and Migration: Today and During the Great Depression
Students conduct interviews, analyze primary sources including docuements and images to gain an inderstanding of the causes and effects of he Great Depression and immigration.
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California-Becoming an Agricultural and Insustrial Power
Fourth graders explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power. They trace the transformation of the California economy in its political and cultural development since the 1850's.
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Technology Blackout Day
Learners describe the impact of modern technology inventions on daily life. They create a graph of the class's favorite item of technology and draw a picture of their favorite piece of modern technology.